Someone Like You
by Wenny T
Summary: The redemption of Fuwa Sho as he is dragged, kicking and screaming, into emotional adulthood. In the meantime, Kyoko and Ren continue circling about each other. "It's okay, I'm all right. Never mind, I'll find someone like you." Chaptered fic; Kyoko/Ren.
1. PROLOGUE

**SOMEONE LIKE YOU**

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**Disclaimer: Skip Beat! and the songs used herein do not belong to me. I own only the plot.**

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**PROLOGUE**

**An undisclosed time in the future**

_"And at the top spot is... Fuwa Sho's newest single, _SOMEONE LIKE YOU_! Well! I'd say that there are no surprises for this month, right, Michiko?"_

_"I absolutely agree, Ryo! It's Fuwa's fifth consecutive number one single in a row, and I have to say, he really is going from strength to strength! This delicious sneak peek he has offered us from the impending release of his new album is just too different from his usual devil-may-care musical style and it truly 'showcases his evolution as a musician', to quote his own words! And in_ my_ words... 'Wow!'"_

_"Yes, a stunning deviation from his usual rock-n-roll tunes and power ballads, isn't it? He delivers yet again, but we shouldn't be shocked; it_ is_ Fuwa Sho, after all. I think all of us can recall the Vie Ghoul incident from some years back. He has just proven again that he didn't reach the top just by luck alone!"_

_"Mmhmm. Very true! And I'm not dissing his older songs, Ryo, you know I'm a Fuwa fan myself-"_

_"-yes, i remember, didn't you once bring all his CDs in your collection to our set when we did that special with him?"_

_"-but honestly speaking, _SOMEONE LIKE YOU_, when placed next to his older singles, such as_ PRISONER_ for example, well! It really shows how far he has grown musically!"_

_"I get what you mean, _SOMEONE LIKE YOU_ is so stripped down in comparison that it should feel simple and plain next to an unabashed rock ballad like_ PRISONER._ But instead the very minimalist feel of it increases the intense poignancy of the lyrics and the melody!"_

_"Ah Ryo, you sly thing, I can see your inner fanboy emerging too! I'm sure the audience are getting tired of our babbling. What is this song that is so good, they must be thinking! So without further ado, we're going to show the PV of _SOMEONE LIKE YOU_. Please enjoy-"_

Click.

"Oh, Shotaro..."

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A/N: New fic, after a long long hiatus, in a fandom where I've been an avid lurker circa 2007. Please review. Am in the midst of spring finals now, but will work on this when I find the time, or am too lazy to swot. Cheers.

PS. Also, am in need of a beta reader. Any kind soul volunteering?


	2. Chapter One: Rolling In The Deep I

**CHAPTER ONE**

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**Rolling in the Deep I**

**The Present**

Sawara Takenori looked up from the file he was consulting to see a familiar figure turning into the hallway. The proposal he had for the President for their weekly meeting could wait for later. Snapping the file shut, he cried, "Ah, Mogami-chan! Just the person I was looking for."

"Sawara-san! Good morning!" Mogami Kyoko, one of his erstwhile LoveMe charges, turned to face him upon his shout, and executed a perfect bow, before shooting upright again in puzzlement. "Eh? Sawara-san was looking for me?"

"Oh yes. I'd called you yesterday, twice, but it seems like your phone was unavailable-"

At his words, she fished around for her phone and came up with it clutched in her hand, albeit after much fumbling. The screen remained accusingly dark even after her pressing the power button for a few times. "I forgot to charge it when I reached home yesterday! Sawara-san, I am _so_ sorry for the inconvenience that my foolish mistake has brought to you!"

Sawara suppressed a fond smile at the sight of the ginger-hued head bowed respectfully towards the floor once again. At least she did not fall into a perfectly formed dogeza this time, after that last time when he lectured her on being overly polite. "It's all right, Mogami-chan. I just wanted to let you know that you've gotten a new offer! It's a lead role for a PV this time, without a need to share screen time with other actresses."

He did not expect the caution that crept into her face, however. She eyed him warily. "A PV? Lead role? Is it for that-"

He understood in a flash. "Oh, no, no," he hastened to add. He had thought her obsessed with the Fuwa kid, but that display in his office months before was too frightening for his supposition to be correct. He only knew that he never wanted to witness a repeat again. "Not for Fuwa-san," he said, ignoring the sudden drop in the temperature of the hallway. "No, no. It's one of our own singers who has requested for you to act in their PV!"

It was noticeably warmer again. Her eyes widened with surprise and something that he could not quite identify, but he rushed on, "In fact, you've met her before, on one of your very first LoveMe assignments. Ruriko-chan had you as her temporary assistant for a short while she was filming _Ring Doh_ with Tsuruga-kun, remember?"

"Ruriko-san wants me in her PV?" Disbelief coloured her voice, but Sawara misunderstood the reasons behind it. "Yes, Ruriko-chan specifically requested for you. She said something about how you're the only person to bring the role to life, here," he rummaged between the folders he was carrying, "is the plot outline of the PV and the production details. Filming starts on Friday. It's all right, you can have it, I had this copy made for you to read through. Do you have _Box R_ on that day, Mogami-chan? I can have the schedule rearranged with Nakazawa-san if they clash."

"Ah, no," She replied him dazedly after a short period of silence, fingers holding onto the blue file with such a loose grip that he feared she would drop it. "It's fine, Sawara-san. I have _Box R_ later this evening, and then we are done for the week. Natsu will only be needed next Tuesday, at the start of the new arc Director Annaka has planned for Chitose."

"It's settled then? I'll tell Ruriko-chan's manager that you've accepted the role?" He beamed at her, proud of the fact that she had come so far, from a girl who had to stalk him for days for a chance to audition, to a budding actress getting requested for roles. They were not quite lead roles yet, but she was getting there. He had faith in her.

"Yes, I'll take it. Thanks... thanks for telling me, Sawara-san." Her faint voice had him concerned for a moment, but he could not put off the meeting with the President anymore. The man was patient, and eccentric enough to be understanding about his tardiness once he knew that he had been speaking to Mogami-chan about her new role, but he _was_ the _President_ of the agency, after all. One does not keep the President waiting... much. "I must run, Mogami-chan. I have a meeting with Takarada-shachou scheduled, and I'm late. Drop by my desk or call me if you have any more questions!"

He hurried off, only to arrest movement at her voice, once again spirited. "Wait! Sawara-san, who's directing the PV for Ruriko-chan?"

"Why, Date Hirotaka-sama, of course! Ogata-san's father! He's both the director and executive producer for the PV. Only the best for Ruriko-chan! And now I really must be off, Mogami-chan, all the relevant details are present within the file!" Had he turned back while uttering the last statement, he would have been treated to a face that Kyoko only wore occasionally around Ren, at moments when his anger was at its highest and his smile, its most brilliant.

Pure, unadulterated, squirrelly fear.

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Ogata-san's father? She was to work with Ogata-san's father? If he could reduce Ogata-san, beautiful, talented Ogata-san to panic attacks, what would happen to worthless little her? True, Sawara-san had said that Ruriko-san had requested for her specially, but directors had more power over the cast than the stars themselves. And here was a famous director acting as the executive producer as well. Fired. She would be fired. There was no way she would be allowed to film Ruriko-san's PV. It was impossible. She was not good enough. It was Wednesday. There was only two days till filming. Too little time to come up with a character that would impress Date-sama. Her Mio had taken longer than that, and Ogata-san had been too nice to her and gave her a second chance when he should have fired her. She would not be as lucky this time. No one would be that lucky a second time. And if Date-sama would fire her, there was nothing Ruriko-san could do. Maybe she would even agree with his decision. Maybe she would regret the hundred points she had stamped on Kyoko's LoveMe booklet a year ago. There was no doubts about it. She would be fired. Kyoko sat in the LoveMe locker room and moped, her thoughts whirling endlessly around in her mind. The blue file laid innocuously next to her, almost mocking in its innocence.

"This is punishment for that moment of pride you indulged in when you heard Ruriko-san had asked for you. Pride comes before a fall, and you have a nasty fall lined up for you." Tsuruga Ren intoned gravely. Kyoko's head drooped in response.

"Divine retribution! It is all because of the fact that you entered this industry with less than pure reasons. Shame on you. Did I not tell you that bravery alone will get you nowhere? Now you are going to get kicked out because you do not possess enough talent to survive in it. At last!" Ren pointed out with vicious relish. Kyoko whimpered at the harsh words lancing through her, true though they were. "Sempai..."

"Don't call me that. You're not worthy of being my kohai." Ren frowned and placed a weary hand across his eyes. He was exasperated with her. Again. Kyoko bit her lip in an effort to force back the tears threatening to blur her vision.

"I will finally be free of a troublesome pupil. No more irritating phone calls plaguing me for help, no more of that annoying nagging about my meals, no more helping you to chase off burdensome idiots who dare to interrupt my work. No more staking my immaculate reputation for a protégé who is ungrateful enough to test my temper over and over again." Ren counted the points off of his fingers as Kyoko's head dipped lower, and lower, until her face was almost pressing Ren's body into her lap.

A hard smack at the back of her head had her jerking upright in painful shock. She dropped Ren on the floor without a second thought as her eyes met with that of her assailant's. "Oy, you stupid idiot. Why are you languishing around and playing with dolls again? What is the matter with you now?"

"Moko-san! Save me!"

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Sometimes, Kotonami Kanae really could _not_ figure out why she was still friends with that girl. She had always made it a point to steer clear of weird people, due to the large number of odd characters that made up her family. And nothing was more weird than being seventeen, an age where most outgrew their urges for toys a long time ago; and crying into a handmade, too-realistic doll of your mentor-cum-colleague in your designated locker room at your workplace.

"You idiot. Stop clinging to me and wailing like the world is ending, and start telling me what is wrong! Maybe then we can solve it."

"Moko-san is such a good friend to me. I don't deserve you!" Tears and snot were smeared everywhere on Kanae's uniform. She bore no love for the obnoxiously pink monstrosity that they had to wear nearly everyday while at LME, but that did not mean Kyoko could slobber her disgusting bodily fluids on it. Kanae was the one who had to wash it at night, and she had no wish to sacrifice her beauty sleep in order to scrub dried mucus off of clothing.

"Mo! Will you stop it! Just tell me what is wrong!" Another whack to her side seemed to restore Kyoko to a pale imitation of normality. Kanae grimaced and dug about her pockets for a tissue when the other swiped her own pink-hued sleeve in a failed attempt to clean her face up. "I am going to die in two days."

The trail of mucus across Kyoko's cheek was not enough to distract Kanae from her shock at the random proclamation. "What? What are you going on about? Are you... ill?"

_In the head_, she tacked on in her own mind while rolling her eyes. Her fingers finally grasped the elusive packet of tissues she was sure she had on her person. Tugging it out, she wiped Kyoko's face clean for her when the other girl did not respond to the packet dangling in front of her eyes. She was too busy brooding. "Moko-san... Do you think Director Annaka will agree if I ask him to gift the role of Natsu to you, after my death?"

"Will you just stop it with the stupid comments and tell me what is going on! How can I help you when you don't tell me anything? Am I your best friend or not?" Kanae had thought those two sacred words would jolt Kyoko out of her despair, but she could see that her plan had backfired as Kyoko descended into a fresh round of wails. "Best friend... Cannot live without... Going to miss... Die... Moko-san! Not worthy! Tsuruga-san said-"

She stiffened as that name flew out from Kyoko's mouth. That man again! What did he do to her this time? "What did that bastard do?" She forced out in a growl between clenched teeth. Her brain was whispering all the sordid possibilities to her, but she figured it was better to get it from the horse's mouth when the horse was right in front of her, so to speak.

"Which bastard?" Kyoko was kind enough to pause in her histronics to flick her a confused glance.

"Tsuruga." Kanae clarified. Her temper was close to snapping.

"Sempai? He didn't do anything, Moko-san. Sempai is the best sempai in the world, remember?" Befor Kyoko could go on endlessly about the supposedly virtuous Tsuruga Ren, Kanae held up a commanding hand. "Stop. Okay. You're going to help me understand what has you upset. Don't cry, don't talk. Just answer my questions with a nod or a shake of your head. Okay?"

Kyoko nodded slowly at her clipped sentences, eyes huge with adoration and the remnants of her crying fit. Kanae took a deep breath. "So. Tsuruga hasn't done anything bad to you?"

It was surprising that Kyoko's fervent shaking of her head did not result in her head falling off from its perch on her neck.

"You're not sick, physically? It's not something making your body unhealthy?"

A shake coupled with confusion rampant across those expressive features.

"Does this have anything to do with the Fuwa ass from Akatoki?" Kyoko glowered and started to open her mouth, no doubt to go on her usual rants, but Kanae interrupted in a tone harsher than necessary. "No, don't talk. Nod or shake."

More fervent shaking, accompanied with a dark scowl.

"The dangerous mission that Takarada-san has you on? The one you're so secretive about?"

Another shake.

Kanae was stumped. What else was there? She blinked as a thought occurred rather belatedly. "Is this about acting? Are you stuck in a role?"

Kyoko hesitated, and nodded slowly.

"It's not Natsu, I just saw a favourable review of her this morning." Kanae mused. "Dark Moon is over, so Mio's out. Not Bo. Oh! Have you got a new offer?"

Bingo, she struck the jackpot, Kanae crowed to herself when Kyoko gave another tremulous nod. Getting stuff out of this girl was harder than pulling out a healthy tooth with no anaesthetic. "Okay, so you've got a new offer. Is it the character you are struggling with?"

Kyoko started to nod, then changed the gesture halfway to a shake. It looked like she was suffering from an epileptic fit.

"The cast?" The words were barely out of her mouth when Kyoko gave a quick shake.

_Not the cast... The crew then?_ Kanae repeated herself out loud, and was stunned hen Kyoko nodded once, very shallowly, almost as though she was ashamed of admitting it. "You have a problem with the crew? Who, the director?" The words were spoken in jest, so she was rather surprised when Kyoko nodded once more, flung her arms around Kanae and burst into tears again.

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"Don't be stupid," Kanae scoffed once she dragged the entire story out from Kyoko. "I acknowledged you as my rival, remember? That goes to show you have talent. And people actually like the characters you come up with. Just because he's some famous movie director doesn't mean he won't recognize talent when it smacks him in the face. And that's what you're going to do on Friday. Polish your character and go in to smack them in the faces with her."

"I wish I could be as confident as Moko-san," Kyoko mumbled. "But two of my larger roles, Natsu and Mio, were only created after many mistakes. Director Ogata was kind enough to forgive me for being reckless with my Mio, and Director Annaka was even on the verge of firing me when he was finally satisfied with my Natsu. Date-sama is, well, he's a world-class director! He's worked with countless movie stars and talented people. He filmed Otou-san in _Tsukigomori_ so many years ago, and I'm hardly up to Otou-san's standards! And I remember from filming _Prisoner,"_ and here she permitted herself a snarl, "that the filming process for PVs is very rushed. Everything is cramped together and done in the shortest amount of time possible. How am I going to come up with a character that will satisfy Date-sama, then?"

"You just are." Kanae snapped, towering over the shorter girl. "My best friend would never back down from a challenge like this."

"But-" Kyoko's head snapped back as Kanae put all her strength into delivering a slap across Kyoko'sleft cheek. "No buts! Remember that girl, Koenji Erika? Remember how I wanted to admit defeat? I'm not going to say all the cheesy things you spouted then, so just let this slap remind you of your own words. This PV is going to be for you what the Kyurara commercial was for me. You are going to be prepared, and you will show Ruriko her acting rival got better with experience, and you will blow Director Date away with your acting skills. Do you understand? I won't have my rival quitting our race!"

"Y-yes, I understand," Kyoko whispered in awe, hands clasped against her chest, her throbbing cheek all but forgotten. Kanae had a mean swing. "Kyaaaa, my Moko-san is so cool!"

Kanae could feel red creeping up her cheeks. She coughed and muttered gruffly, "I am not being cool, you imbecile. And I'm most certainly not yours! Now... Tell me about the song for the PV; I'm curious. Just why did that Matsunai say no one else is better suited for it, anyway? Are you going to be playing one of your ridiculous princesses, or fairies? Is it one of those moronic love songs I always hear from her on the radio?"

Kyoko blinked and bit her lip. "Actually... I'm not really sure what my character is like." She hedged. "I was fretting too much about how I'm not good enough, er, that is, I haven't read the file. Yet."

"You _what_?"

"I-I'm sorry, Moko-san!"

"It's not me that you should be apologising to! Mo! You idiot!" Kanae really did not understand why she had not sever their friendship yet. This girl, she was... Really, there were no words sufficient to describe her.

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**A/N:** Three thousand words fresh out of the oven. Would love to hear what the readers think. This is unbetaed, I'm too tired to go into Grammar Nazi mode now, it's two in the morning and I haven't slept for two days. Let me know through reviews if you spot a mistake or two or seventy. Reviews motivate me. They tell me I'm at least doing something right; yeah I'm a sucker with a helpless-oriented attitude. Fellow psychology majors will know what I am. Ceasing rambling now. Review, thanks. Don't just put me on Alert, people, that hurts. Haha.


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